Fast-track Vikhroli hospital work: CM Shinde to BMC

Krantiveer Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Hospital was closed in 2018 after the building was declared as dilapidated. File pic

Taking note of the relay hunger strike by Vikhroli residents, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde met the protesters on Thursday afternoon and then held a meeting with top BMC officials, instructing them to make temporary arrangements for medical treatments of the locals. He has also instructed the BMC to expedite the redevelopment of the hospital at Kannamwar Nagar and increase the number of beds to 500.

mid-day had highlighted the lack of medical facilities in the eastern suburbs which led to the residents launching the hunger strike from September 12. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation shut down the Krantiveer Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Hospital in 2018 after the building was declared dilapidated. The civic body had planned to redevelop this hospital into a superspecialty one along with increasing the capacity to 310 from the earlier 100. However, 6 years on, the work has not started yet.

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mid-day had also reported on the proposed Nahur Super Specialty Hospital to cater to the citizens of eastern suburbs. The proposal for the construction of the hospital at a cost of Rs 670 crore was passed in March this year, but work is yet to start. CM Shinde, after taking stock of the BMC health services in the city, directed civic chief I S

Chahal to complete the redevelopment of all such hospitals on a war footing. Chahal, who attended the meeting at Mantralaya on Thursday evening, did not respond to calls. A BMC official said, "The CM suggested increasing the bed capacity of the Kannamwar Nagar hospital to 500, so we will work on that."

Dr Yogesh Bhalerao, a resident of Vikhroli, said, "We started a hunger strike as the work for the hospital has not started yet. CM Shinde called us to meet on Thursday and assured us that the hospital will start soon."

2018
Year when Krantiveer Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Hospital was shut